Not everyone can take time off out of his or her schedule to take regular Chinese language classes. Taking a year off to study Mandarin at a university in China is out of the question for people with careers, children or other responsibilities at home.
Here is an introduction to a few different ways to study Chinese online.
BBC Chinese Lessons
The BBC gives a free introductory Chinese course on its website. The 10 lessons cover basic topics like introductions, family members, asking directions and essential tourist survival language. It also includes an easy to use pronunciation guide.
Pros:
- Totally free
- Very easy to use and navigate
- Focus on proper pronunciation instead of reading is great for beginners
Cons:
- Aimed at absolute beginners, so those with a bit of previous Mandarin training will not find this useful
- No introduction to Chinese characters, so students wishing to learn how to read and write need to look elsewhere
ChinesePod
ChinesePod has a huge catalog of pod casts ready for download; each pod cast is a self-contained, stand-alone Chinese language lesson. A free week-long trial is also available.
Pod casts range in difficulty anywhere from absolute beginner to advanced media lessons. There are literally hundreds of pod casts to choose from and there are constant updates, so users never run out of study material.
Pros:
- ChinesePod has lessons for every level and informative explanations of vocabulary
- The website has a thriving forum community to discuss the pod casts and ask any lingering questions
- Basic membership is only $5 per month, so the service is very affordable
Cons:
- ChinesePod lessons tend to add a lot of new vocabulary to each lesson, meaning to understand each lesson fully users will have learn it all
- Although there are newbie lessons, it can be hard to get a grasp of basic grammar from pod casts alone
Popup Chinese
Similar to ChinesePod, Popup Chinese has a range of Chinese learning pod casts for various skill levels. Popup Chinese also includes lessons specifically for taking the HSK test (an official test of Chinese language proficiency for non-Chinese). Popup Chinese lessons tend to focus on short dialogues with detailed grammatical explanations.
Pros:
- Popup Chinese lessons are short and to the point – each lesson contains a minimum of extra vocabulary to learn
- Since dialogues in the lessons are short, there is more time for detailed discussion of the grammar in each text
Cons:
- At $200 for a yearly subscription, Popup Chinese is somewhat more expensive than ChinesePod
- Many of the lessons focus on grammar, HSK examinations and reading skills instead of vocabulary practice
Online Chinese Tutoring Services
There are a large number of companies that provide free tutors that can guide students online through a voice chat program. These services allow students to ask any questions they have and also give a chance to practice oral Chinese with a native speaker.
Some programs have their own curriculum while others simply help students with questions they come across on their own and give them a chance to practice.
Pros:
- Because many tutors are located in mainland China where wages are quite low, tutoring can be very cheap. Students can expect to pay as little as $2 or $3 an hour.
- A good tutor can provide personalized help as well as encouragement
Cons:
- Not all tutoring services are equal. Some companies are just out to make a quick buck, so users should do research before investing in any sort of plan.
- While a particular tutoring company may be good overall, different tutors will have different attitudes and strengths as teachers
Learning Chinese is a long-term goal that requires serious dedication and hard work. Busy professionals or parents do not have the time to take traditionally classes, but online tools give them the power to learn when and how they want.
